FIFA Launches Nationwide Canada Celebrates Program

FIFA has announced the launch of Canada Celebrates the FIFA World Cup 2026, a program that it says will unite communities across the tournament co-host country from 11 June—19 July 2026.

Delivered as a series of free-to-the-public, one-day community celebrations across the country, FIFA says that Canada Celebrates will “bring football fans together for live match viewings, football-themed activations, cultural programming, music, food and shared moments of national pride.”

Canada is preparing to host its first men’s FIFA World Cup alongside Mexico and the United States, and host cities Toronto and Vancouver will be at the heart of the occasion.

“Canada Celebrates was created to recognise the passion for football that runs across Canada and to bring the energy and excitement of the FIFA World Cup directly into our communities,” said Vittorio Montagliani, FIFA vice-president and Concacaf president. “As a Canadian, I’ve seen first-hand the pride and unity this country shows on the world stage and how Canadians rally during major international sporting events.

“Hosting the FIFA World Cup is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It builds on the foundation laid by generations from coast to coast and marks the beginning of the next chapter for football in Canada.”

Canada Celebrates Tour Locations

Canada Celebrates will begin in British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia simultaneously – on the country’s west and east coasts – on 11 June. The program will have up to 40 stops countrywide in total, each celebrating the cultures, communities, stories and traditions across the country and providing a live feed for match viewings.

Ahead of the tournament, Canada Celebrates will also support the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola, giving fans the opportunity to see the original trophy in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa and Toronto. The tour begins in Canada on January 29, with full dates and details to be found here.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest to date, with 48 teams competing across 12 groups and 104 matches across three countries and 16 host cities.   

Fan Uncertainty

However, the news comes against an uncertain backdrop which has seen U.S. President Donald Trump intensify his immigration crackdown by suspending the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries. This would affect fans of national teams competing in the tournament such as Algeria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Uruguay and Uzbekistan, who may not be able to attend.

Meanwhile, the tense standoffs initiated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) across the U.S. have even fueled calls for a potential boycott of the tournament.